“I’m so struck by… the way [Paul] budgets his writing of Romans, spends about as much space and time talking about getting along together in our churches as he spent explaining the doctrine of justification by faith.” - TGC

“I’ve sat in Bible study groups (and cringed) when the leader asked the group, ‘What do you want to study next?’ Like preschoolers craving their favorite snack, people tend toward their favorite Bible books or topics.” - Lifeway

“The ERLC plans to actively engage this historic case at the Supreme Court by filing an amicus brief outlining why the Tennessee law, and others like it, must be ruled constitutional.” - Baptist Press

As we’ve noted, even Jonah the bigot knew that God had revealed himself as a God of compassion, who extends mercy even to the most wicked, upon their repentance—and who seeks that repentance from them.

When and where did God reveal this?

It begins with Moses.

“This was published in 1984. The Pentecostal Evangel was the official weekly magazine of the Assemblies of God.” - Current

“Christians can’t seem to stop singing: in catacombs, in cathedrals, everywhere throughout church history. In Saudi Arabia, the underground churches soundproof the walls and windows, sometimes with mattresses, so they can lift their voices in praise without detection.” - TGC

“There is a reluctance among Christians to condone gambling but not enough opposition to condemn it outright. I think many Christians aren’t quite sure what to make of the morality of gambling.” - C.Today

“With specific regard to ‘Evangelicals for Harris,’ the issue at hand is fundamentally one of theology not politics. It is a question that is firmly rooted in the principle of participation found in 2 Corinthians 6:14.” - Christ Over All

I’m going to repost a group of articles I wrote years ago about the God of Supersessionism. I have been having fun lately on ‘X’ with people who want to correct me on my view of the covenants with the usual fodder of ‘the NT reinterprets the OT.’ One of these individuals informed me the “the Covenant” in Genesis 1-3 was plainly in view. When I asked him (repeatedly) to show me this “covenant” he implied I needed to receive the Spirit! Another gentleman who claimed the NT is required to understand the OT was challenged with the five covenants God mentions in Jer. 33. His response was to close the conversation down.

“trying to recruit church volunteers primarily by making announcements from the pulpit, via email, or within the church newsletter. Here’s why that approach doesn’t work” - Chuck Lawless

“There appears to be a growing number of young people drawn to Wesleyanism and Wesleyan-Arminian theology. Nearly 20 years after the rise of New Calvinism—when ‘Young, Restless, Reformed’ Christians embraced … Calvin” - Juicy Ecumenism

Pathway to Pastoral Ministry: First Steps for Young Men is available and The Healthy Pastor: Stewarding Your Personal Life for Long-Term Ministry is expected in early 2025. - Dean Taylor

“50% of U.S. Protestant pastors say they plan to vote for Donald Trump, while a quarter (24%) back Kamala Harris and 23% are undecided.” - Lifeway

“it’s time to stop talking about what we’re going to do and take an initial, strategic step of action that puts into place an administrative response to this issue.” - Baptist Press

Related: The SBC will sell its Nashville headquarters to defray abuse-related legal costs - RNS

These days, you don’t have to be a news junky to hear of events that arouse strong disapproval or outright anger. But how should Christians feel about the foolishness and wrongdoing going on in our world and our culture? Should we be unmoved? Should we be perpetually outraged? What about Christian joy?

The Bible is clear that some things ought to get us worked up. We’re called to “hate evil” (Psalm 97:10, Prov 8:13, Amos 5:15), to “be angry” yet “not sin” (Eph 4:26).

We’re also called to be imitators of God and to be re-formed in His image (Eph 5:1, Col 3:10, Gal 4:19). We’re to walk as Christ walked (1 John 2:6). And anger is clearly part of who God is.

“God intends for the beauty of brokenheartedness to mingle with the beauty of boldness so that a new reality emerges even more beautiful than the sum of both—a new reality called brokenhearted boldness. It is one of God’s most beautiful works. And it is one of the most needed in our day.” - Eternal Perspective

“The Greek word for conscience appears in the New Testament thirty-one times, and it seems to have a two-fold dimension, as the medieval scholars argued. It involves the idea of accusing as well as the idea of excusing.” - R.C. Sproul

“If your path calls for self-reflection, spiritual development, and harmony with God’s plan, a counselor could be the better option. On the other hand, if your emphasis is on decision-making, process improvement, and goal achievement, a coach might be of great help.” - GARBC

From Lectures to My Students: A Selection from Addresses Delivered to the Students of The Pastors’ College, Metropolitan Tabernacle

First Series, Lecture IX
By C.H. Spurgeon

“modern parents seem to be having an especially hard time. The U.S. surgeon general recently released an advisory warning that parental stress is a significant public health concern as 4 in 10 parents say that most days they feel so stressed they can’t function.” - TGC

Related:

“Pop culture and the pop style of music in general has infiltrated and reshaped much of the thinking, writing, arranging, and performing of Christian music, even within much of ‘conservative’ Christianity.” - Taigen Joos

“The democratized forms of Christian belief profiled by Hatch existed on the frontiers of American society. Their adherents were outsiders, far from the elite bastions of the northeast. They tended to be highly individualistic, innovative, unconcerned with the past, and pragmatic in their overall approach to the Christian life.” - Mere Orthodoxy

“1. Am I Driven by a Concern to Prove Myself, My Church, or My Movement? … 2. Are There People Around Me Who Feel Free to Disagree with Me? … 4. Do I Dismiss Negative Feedback Based on the Person Giving the Feedback? Or Am I Willing to Acknowledge Truth Wherever It May Be Found?…” - 9 Marks

“Such are the times in which we live. And we are tempted to believe that these cultural circumstances make us strangers and exiles in a world that once embraced our values. But that’s not the whole story.” - Rosaria Butterfield

Also… Hospitality in the Bible: Following Jesus’s Hospitality of the Cross - Word by Word

On Luke 16:9… “After we die, Jesus is telling us, when our present assets of money, possessions, time, and life are gone, we may be welcomed by friends into eternal dwellings.” - Randy Alcorn

“As marriage rates continue to decline, the social sciences are documenting how robust the benefits of marriage are for adults and their children.” - Daily Citizen

“A recent defense of public schools appeared in Christianity Today…. Clearly, though, the numbers I have already cited confirm that a growing number of Americans find these arguments unconvincing.” - MinistryWatch

“Trueman is correct that moral sensibilities have profoundly shifted both within the church and without in recent decades. The church is generally ill-equipped even to begin formulating rationale to address the complex ethical questions it is confronted with.” - Mere Orthodoxy